ABB Brings Autonomous Tech to Singapore

ABB, in collaboration with Keppel O&M's technology arm,
Keppel Marine and Deepwater Technology (KMDTech), will jointly
develop the technology for autonomous vessels and retrofit a
32-meter harbor tugboat with leading-edge digital solutions,
enabling autonomous vessel operations in the Port of Singapore at
the end of 2020. Upon project completion, the vessel is
anticipated to be South Asia's first autonomous tug.

During the initial phase of the project, the vessel, operated by
Keppel Offshore & Marine's joint-venture company Keppel Smit
Towage, will complete a series of navigational tasks in a
designated test area in the Port of Singapore, steered from an
onshore control center. The second phase of the project will see
the vessel perform autonomous collision avoidance tasks while
under remote supervision.

"This project is a key marker on our digital journey as it
demonstrates our capabilities as a leader in intelligent shipping
technology and proves the success of our Electric. Digital.
Connected. vision for the maritime industry," said Juha Koskela,
Managing Director, ABB Marine & Ports. "The intent of our
technology is not to entirely remove the crew, but rather to
relieve the crew from the tasks than can be automated and thus
enable them to perform at their best during critical operations."

With this project, ABB takes the next step towards autonomous
shipping, building on the insights gained from the groundbreaking
trial of a remotely operated passenger ferry Suomenlinna II,
carried out in Helsinki harbor in November 2018. The Port of
Singapore, which sees over 130,000 vessels calling annually, has
exponentially denser shipping patterns, which will add another
layer of complexity to the trials.

The trials aim to validate the increased safety and efficiency of
tug operations by utilizing digital solutions that are already
available today for nearly any kind of vessel. Integral to the
trials will be ABB Ability Marine Pilot portfolio of solutions,
which enable the 'sense-decide-act' loop required for any form of
autonomy. ABB Ability Marine Pilot Vision will provide the sensor
fusion from existing and new systems to generate a digital
situational awareness while ABB Ability Marine Pilot Control will
execute the necessary conning commands.

Tug operations, where a tugboat maneuvers other vessels by
pushing or towing them, often in crowded harbors, can be
demanding. In addition, sometimes the tugs have to do long
transits to get to their destination. Performing the transit
autonomously and under remote supervision would enable the
onboard crew to rest and be alert when they are needed in the
actual work of the tug.

KMDTech will work with the Maritime Port Authority of Singapore
(MPA) and the Technology Centre for Offshore and Marine,
Singapore (TCOMS) to develop various technologies and be the
system integrator for the autonomous solutions. American Bureau
of Shipping (ABS) will provide the Approval in Principle for the
novel features such as Remote Navigation Control and Autonomous
Control System.